Winners and Losers Week 8 of the NFL season
Just like that, we’re on the verge of being at the halfway point of the season. If your anything like me, this will sadden you deeply. But hey, there’s still the playoffs as well so really, we’ve still got a while left yet. What a season it’s been thus far too as only the Bills and Chiefs have lived up to the preseason expectations placed on them. For everyone else, it’s been overachiever and underachiever central. This weeks winners and losers column will mostly focus on those who surprised us this week as there were few grandiose upsets.
Winner: Seahawks
After 8 long weeks, the Hawks finally make an appearance on the winners column. Can’t believe it took this long but here they are. All it took was a decisive beatdown of the 6-1 Giants. It started ugly as the Giants went 3 and out on all three of their first quarter drives while Seattle just ran in place, getting a single first down each drive before punting it away. As much as everyone has loved the “Geno for MVP” chatter lately, this was a textbook example of why I’m not totally in on the Geno hype. Seattle started the game trying to go for a more pass heavy approach and couldn’t get going. To Geno’s credit, the run game simply wasn’t working against the Giants so they had little choice but to attack through the air. But there were drives in this game that serves as a reminder that there’s more to the Geno revival than simply the efficiency numbers. Regardless, Seattle finally got it going off as they nickel and dimed the Giants down the field, totalling 15 plays for a TD (the longest drive the Giants had given up all season). Special mention goes to DK Metcalf who’s slowly becoming a pretty decent route runner. He’s still no Reggie Wayne but he’s come a long way since college and the abysmal 3 cone combine scores. Likewise, it has to be noted just how good a job Seahawks OC Shane Waldron is doing. On the first TD drive for Seattle, they went for it twice on 4th down and called two fantastic plays to set up Geno for easy conversions. New York would tie the game soon after thanks to an incredible strip fumble by Adoree Jackson that set the Giants up at the 2 yard line. A Giants special teams turnover would result in Seattle walking into halftime with a 3 point lead.
Post halftime is where the game really got spicy. The Giants would methodically march down the field, chewing up almost 9 minutes of time as Danny Dimes continued to make his bid for a contract extension. But Seattle’s played some great contain defence this game and held Jones in the pocket well, forcing a FG from the 13. Seattle would respond in kind with a stalled drive of their own, retaking the lead on a FG. Entering the 4th, the Giants marched down and got another FG. Geno would respond by having a picture perfect drive, piecing apart the Giants defence through some well placed passes, including a dime to Tyler Lockett on a double move for the score. That gave the Hawks a 7 point lead but both the Giants and Seattle would take turns going 3 and out, setting up the Giants for a chance to still tie the game up. But a second fumble by special teamer Richie James would seal it as Kenneth Walker would punch it in on the ensuing possession and the rest of the game became academic.
It was a crucial win for Seattle who now move up to a record of 5-3 to lead the NFC West. While it wasn’t as dominant as the score indicates, it now marks 3 straight wins for the Hawks and is their first win since Detroit where they won in spite of not being able to establish the run. Coming up, they have a divisional matchup against the Cards that will give them some more breathing room in the division should they win
Vikings
That’s right Vikings fans, your back in the Winners column despite my continued extreme reluctance to put you in here. In the past I’ve written things about the Vikings like:
“Their wins are almost always ugly as hell but on some level, we can’t all continue to ignore the record, no matter how strong or weak it may appear”
”It really did appear like Sota didn’t want to win this game as despite Miami giving them countless opportunities to take over”.
We still can’t continue to ignore their record and for once, they didn’t really try to throw this game away. In fact, it was actually a pretty competenly played game by both teams which is wild to say given who we’re dealing with. It all started rather well for Minnesota as what appeared to be a rather innocuous Kirk Cousins scramble on third down turned into a long TD. Arizona would respond with a FG as Patrick Peterson got his revenge on his former team, breaking up a key third down pass in the end zone. The following possession was more of what we expected from this Vikings team. Kirk Cousins overthrew a wide open Justin Jefferson on third and one (he could have run for it) before sailing a pass over Thielen’s head (who to be fair was tightly covered). A couple more TD’s would be scored in the half, one by Minnesota which was a nice, lengthy drive that featured a balanced offensive attack while Arizona scored off Deandre Hopkins making one of the most remarkable catches you’ll see all season to close the first half.
Half number two featured a couple punts before a connection from Kyler to Hopkins set up a short Zach Ertz score to take the lead. It was the kind of drive that reminds you of what this offence is capable of with Hopkins leading the charge. It isn’t a dynamic offence. Kyler’s athleticism still seems so poorly underutilised given what we’ve seen from some other mobile QB’s this season. But there is talent on this team. Hopkins is still a top tier WR, Ertz is still one of the better TE’s in the league not named Kelce or Andrews and there’s potential lurking for Moore to be a low WR2. This is all low hanging compliments though as you don’t need to fish for compliments with the Vikings skill position players (no matter what you think of the play calling). Minnesota would respond with a TD themselves after Justin Jefferson apparently took offence to thoughts of DHop being better than him, pulling off an incredible catch despite being absolutely blanketed by the CB (he almost snatches it from behind his head). A few plays later and Mattison would punch it in for the score. If the Cardinals drive displayed the peak potential of Arizona (at least as it relates to having Hopkins back) then the subsequent Vikings drive is the argument that they are in fact legit. Every dynamic skill player was involved in the drive, each displaying differing skill sets. For instance, Thielen had a crafty YAC play while Dalvin was every bit the dynamic runner outside the tackles.
Arizona would respond to the Vikings score by… throwing an INT on the first play of the drive. Kyler unable to step up in the pocket, short changed a verticals pass which got picked off by Harrison Smith. There’s probably something that could be said of Kyler’s size on this play. He appeared to look so small in the pocket trying to get the throw off over a sea of bodies. But the bigger issue here is playcalling given they were backed up close to the end zone. It’s the sort of play that works for the Bills because Josh Allen is Josh Allen, but works for nobody else. Sota responded quickly by punching in another TD to put them up 28-17 which should’ve wrapped the game up. But anyone who knows either of these teams knew we were far from the end of this one. Arizona aren’t unfamiliar to comebacks. In fact, leads are far more foreign to them than deficits. Likewise, Sota has let teams back into games instead of stomping on their throats like great teams should. The Cards would respond immediately with a TD score as 3 Vikings defenders all whiffed on a near stationary Rondale Moore who escaped for the score. A strip fumble by Isiah Simmons on the next drive set up the Cardinals in prime field position to take the lead. This was a bit of a paradoxical moment. Zona who hate possessing leads and the Vikings who love to open the door for their opponents to rally. The Cardinals unwillingness to take a lead would ultimately prevail as a botched snap on third down would kill the drive and force a FG, bringing the score to 28-26 Sota. A penalty would kill the subsequent Vikings drive and force a punt but Zona would fumble and lose the ball on the punt return, setting up Sota in prime field position. The Vikings could capitilise with another TD which was more or less the end of the game. Kyler could’ve tied it with a TD and a two point conversion but would throw another INT, this time off a miscommunication with Ertz. Kirk Cousins and co still tried their best to give Arizona a couple more chances at a win. But back to back drives came up short and just like that, the game as done.
It was a game that encapsulated why both teams are where they are. The Vikings, despite having only lost one game, still gains no respect in large part for the way they win games. So many of their wins come in spite of them giving their opponents ample opportunities to mount a comeback. And yet, they continue to win. It can’t be a reciepe for continued success and yet, it is. Everything we’ve seen over the years indicates to us that this Vikings team is fraudulent. But look at where we’re at this season. There’s just a select few teams who are consistent week to week. The Vikings for all their faults, are consistent in moving the ball and scoring anywhere from 23-28 point per game. Combine that with a defence that gives up 20 a game and it’s good enough for a +29 in points differential on the season. It’s not pretty. Despite their record, there’s five teams with a better point differential than them. But there’s only one team in the whole NFL with a better record than them.
49ers
Shannahan absolutely owns Mcvay doesn’t he. Before diving into the game, it’s worth noting that 20% of all of Shannahan’s wins as the 49ers head coach is against Sean Mcvay. After losing to him in the NFC title game last game, Shanny has deemed it his sole mission to get revenge this season as they completed the season sweep of the Rams, winning both by two plus possessions. The opening quarter of the game however made it seem like a niners domination wasn’t on the cards. After a couple of sputtering opening drives, the Rams had an epically long drive, going for 19 plays and almost 9 and a half minutes of game time. Astoundingly, this was accomplished almost entirely through the air as well. Stafford would eventually punch it in on a third and goal scramble that looked like something out of Friday Night Lights as he dove into the corner pylon while receiving a meaty ‘WHACK’. In turn, the Niners would respond with their own TD off a trick play to Mcaffery. Garrapolo threw a lateral to Mcaffery who’d then throw a pretty nice looking ball to a wide open Ayiuk for the score. Once again though, the Rams would march down the field, all through the air, and score again. It was a throwback drive to the Rams of last year. Stafford shared the wealth around, hitting Kupp when he needed to (including for the TD score) but also hitting his checkdowns when he needed to and not playing beyond himself. The Niners responded once again to the Rams score. This time by marching down to the goal line before stalling out. As a result, the Rams had to pretty optimistic entering the locker rooms. They had controlled the clock, marched down the field without the help of the run game and walked into half time with a 4 point lead.
That’s as good as it got the Rams however as the Niners turned the game on it’s head. After a punt by both teams, the 49ers would retake the lead on a lengthy drive that lasted almost 7 minutes. Jimmy G was perfect on the drive, going 7-7 and hitting the trio of Mcaffery, Ayuik and Wilson constantly. It was Mcaffery however who acted like a WR and high pointed the ball for the TD score. After a Rams 3 and out, the Niners would score yet again as he completed the triple crown, this time rushing in for the score. He was the first to achieve the triple crown in a game since LT did it back in 2005. Yet another punt by the Rams meant another 49ers score, this time to Kittle as the Rams seemingly forgot to cover him in the back of the end zone. That put the score up to 31-14 with 6:41 to go and Shanny and Mcvay seemingly decided to have a gentleman’s agreement to call it a ball game. It wasn’t your typical 49ers win. Instead, it was an explosive offence that gave the Rams very little margin of error in the 2nd half that paved the way for the win. All this without Deebo who missed the game to an ankle injury. With a healthy Deebo, and Mcaffery learning more of the playbook, the upside of this offence all the sudden seems to be packed full of potential. Whether that’ll lead to another NFC championship appearance is to be determined but entering the bye week, this team is starting to get healthier and now own a two game lead on the Rams (taking into account the tiebreaker). While Seattle are ahead of them in the standings, they already hold a win over them this year. At the very least, they’ve placed the Rams firmly into third place in the NFC West standings and can now turn their focus into hunting down the Hawks.
Losers:
Fourtunately we won’t be spending a ton of time in this section. The losers for this week were all involved in blow-outs with two of the games verging on the unwatchable territory (unless you love to see Jacoby Brisett stunting on people… which I mean, fair enough).
Rams
Hard to pick anyone else here first besides the reigning SB champs. Having already recapped the game, let’s dive into where the Rams went wrong. The first half saw the Rams dominating the time of possession battle. Stafford had 152 of his 187 total yards in the first half alone. But as the game wore on, the Niners pass rush became increasingly more effective and Stafford became increasingly more desperate to throw it to Kupp. Once the Niners took the lead, the inability for the Rams to run the ball allowed Nick Bosa and Co to pin their ears back, pound that battered Rams Oline and force Stafford into the rushed and hurried throws we’ve seen from him for most of this season. That’s where the start and end of the Rams woes are on offence. The offensive line simply isn’t there this season as the Rams are 31st in rushing yards and 28th in points. Likewise the receiving corps this year still isn’t totally there. Allen Robinson has shown glimpses of his old self in recent weeks but there’s still isn’t anyone on the roster that brings what OBJ brought during that magical SB run of last year. The loss sets them back as a clear third in the division and they don’t possess an easy schedule from here on out. They still have the Saints, Chiefs, Seahawks X2 and Chargers remaining on the schedule among others. Their most impressive win as it stands is….the Falcons? Even that was a game they almost blew at the end. While the season isn’t over for them quite yet, Mcvay now finds himself in an uphill battle for a playoff spot.
Vegas
The award for most embarrassing loss of the week goes to the Las Vegas Raiders. I once hailed this team as a dark horse for the AFC West. Given the addition of Devante Adams and Josh Mcdaniels, it didn’t seem like a crazy idea that the Raiders would turn the ship around this season. Coming off a win in which they dominated the hapless Texans, it seemed plausible that they’d be riding some momentum and at the very least, fight a razor close game against a Saints squad that loves to give up points. That was apparently a crazy assumption as Vegas not only lost by 24 points, they got shut out and didn’t cross the 50 yard line until the final garbage time drive of the game. Carr threw for just 101 yards and Adams had a single catch for 3 yards. This is a low point in a season that’s featured a lot of low points. The loss all but puts the nail in the coffin for their season as they look towards next year and figure out what the future of their franchise holds.
Bengals
Last on the losers list is the Bengals. Although the final score might indicate that this was once a competitive game that just got away from the Bengals, that couldn’t be further from the truth. After a successful opening drive moving the ball that ended in a red zone INT, the Cincy offence wouldn’t even sniff the Browns red zone until the fourth quarter. All of this in spite of the Browns playing a pretty poor first half themselves. Amari Cooper threw an awful INT on a trick play and apart from a single long TD drive, had done little in the first half despite Cincy doing nothing offensively. As a result, it was just an 11-0 lead at halftime. It was the third quarter where the game blew open though as Jacoby Brisett got in the zone and marched down the field twice in the third for a TD score. That pushed the Browns to a 25-0 lead entering the 4th quarter. Cincy would respond with their first TD of the game but Jacoby punched them in the mouth right back with another score. Burrow would respond once more but at that point the game was all but done given the score. Cincy was held scoreless until the 4th, Mixon was once again unable to get anything going on the ground and the Bengals Oline got dominated by the return of Myles Garett. In the first half, the Bengals had just 100 yards of total offence and accumulated just 229 yards total on the day. Burrow is now 0-4 against the Browns who stopped a 4 game losing streak. While Jamarr Chase was always going to impact the effectiveness of the offence, this was meant to be one of the best WR cores in the league. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd may not be the best 1-2 duo in the league but it’s far from the worst one around. It also sets the Bengals back a ways in the playoff race as their already down a game to the Ravens who own the tiebreaker over them. Their saving grace is the comfortable November schedule facing the gauntlet in December and January. By then, they hope Chase will be back and this offence can return to the spooky status that they attained around that time last season.
Honourable Mentions
Saints and Commies
Last but not least, a couple of honourable mentions before we get out of here. As much as Vegas laid a goose egg, it’s worth praising the Saints who finally discovered that this Alvin Kamar guy is pretty good, who knew? Continuing to roll out Dalton has been a bold choice. The game he had against Arizona was certainly a benchable offence but Dennis Allen is sticking to his guns and choosing the more risk adverse (in theory) QB and it paid off this week. It’s easy to be skeptical of their future this season. Neither QB holds any answers long term but for the time being, they’re third in a razor close division race that’s only separated by a game. For the Commies, they’re in the opposite position. Their division is what’s killing a competent team that’s won it’s last three to bring their record to 4-4. The wins have all been close. Most of them have been ugly. But wins are wins and the defence is coming into its own. It’s difficult to call Heinickie an improvement over Wentz. He’s every bit as mistake prone. But like Sota, you can’t argue with the results when you get them. It seems unlikely they’ll be playoff bound given the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles all hold large leads over them. But if they can beat the Giants twice, it’s feasible that they somehow manage to pull off the impossible and be the 4th NFC East team that makes a playoff appearance.
That wraps it up for the week. Got this one out early as I had a bit more time to work on it during the week. The current plan at the moment is to pump out an updated power rankings list this week. Won’t likely drop until Saturday or Sunday but check in the next few days if you’d like to see me cringe and compare my week 4 rankings to week 8. I promise it won’t be as long as the last rankings. Probably limit that one to a short paragraph for each squad, noting what has changed in the last four weeks to justify the ranking shift. Hope you all have a good week, until next time, this has been Kurt.